Despite reports to the contrary, Ben Affleck has no intention of firing up production on The Batman anytime soon – at least not until the writer-director settles on “the right story, the right idea.”
The New York Times caught up with Affleck ahead of the launch of Live By Night, the long-in-development period drama in which he’ll take up arms as the unruly Joe Coughlin. Inevitably, talk soon turned toward the DC Extended Universe, where the actor/director stressed that his Batman solo movie won’t be rushed before the cameras to meet an arbitrary release date. The screenplay remains the priority for the time being, according to Affleck, which does cast doubt over the alleged July 2018 launch window.
Here’s the latest status report on the Caped Crusader’s next solo outing, per Batman-News:
We still have to get a screenplay and get it together. … I’m a real believer in not reverse-engineering projects to meet a window or a date, but rather when you get the right story, when the right idea, when the right thing, then you make the movie. That’s what we’re doing, and I’m hoping to get that done. I’m spending a lot of time working on that, but also working on other stuff.
If I could, if I could find it right, there’s nothing I’d love more than to direct a standalone, iconic, great Batman movie. But it’s been done. Chris Nolan did three really great movies. I’m really mindful of that. I’m in not any hurry to jam the mediocre movie down the pipe. I really want to make sure that, if we do it, we get the great version and one that’s worthy of the tradition of guys like Tim Burton, Chris Nolan, and Christian Bale.
It’s an admirable outlook, and even though the project is simmering in the very early stages of development, the fact that Ben Affleck wants The Batman to be remembered in the company of greats (read: Burton and Nolan) is very exciting indeed. Perhaps Affleck’s seemingly strict stance is the reason Warner has remained so quite on the solo movie? Then again, there have been mooted reports that the studio has quietly pushed Justice League 2 in favor of Bats.
Tell us, what do you make of Affleck’s latest update on The Batman? Let us know via the comments section below.